Lea Michele

Introduction

Lea Michele is an American stage and television actress and singer. She stars in the FOX musical-comedy series "Glee."

Life Story

Lea was born in The Bronx, New York to Italian mother and a Spanish father, and was raised in Tenafly, New Jersey.

She began her career as a stage actor on Broadway in 1995 at the age of 8. Lea appeared in several Broadway musicals as a child including Les Miserables, Ragtime, and Fiddler on the Roof. In 2006 at the age of 20, she was selected to originate the Broadway role of Wendla in Spring Awakening, after playing the role Off-Broadway for 5 years. In 2007, Lea received a Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Musical for her role in Spring Awakening.

Michele now stars on the Fox comedy series "Glee," where she plays the overachieving, MySpace-addicted, fame-obsessed, star singer of a high school glee club, Rachel Berry. The pilot aired on May 19, 2009. "Glee" was on the Fall 2009 schedule on Fox, and was renewed for a second season. Other television appearances to date for Lea have included an episode of "Third Watch."

In 2012, Lea will star in the film Dorothy of Oz. She also made the Maxim 2012 Hot 100 List, coming in at number 14.